1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope device that has an insertion unit which is inserted into, for example, a body cavity, and that can undergo at least one of cleansing, disinfection, and sterilization which is performed at a high temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, an endoscope capable of being sterilized with high-pressure steam has been described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-286218 as an example of an endoscope that can be cleansed, or disinfected or sterilized at a high temperature.
The endoscope described in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-286218 has an insertion unit and an operation unit coupled to the insertion unit. The whole endoscope including the insertion unit and operation unit is sterilized with high-pressure steam.
However, as far as the endoscope described in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-286218 is concerned, when the temperature thereof becomes equal to or higher than 130° C. through high-pressure steam sterilization, the endoscope cannot be used until the temperature of the insertion unit that is inserted into a body cavity decreases to be low enough. However, even when the temperature of the insertion unit is low, the temperature of the operation unit which an operator holds during use may be still high. If the operator's hand sweats during examination, the operator may feel uncomfortable or may be annoyed with poor maneuverability.